Team Building
by silvershadeus
Summary: Office morale is low and Watari has an idea how to change that.
1. Default Chapter

  
  


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Team Building 

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Disclaimer: I do not own _Yami no Matsuei,_ I'm just borrowing the characters for a little bit. 

~ silvershadeus ~

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Watari watched silently as Tatsumi scanned the report in his hands, head tilted a little to one side as he read. Realizing he was staring, Watari turned his eyes elsewhere, studying the small potted plant on Tatsumi's desk. A gift from Wakaba who'd claimed that Tatsumi needed something to 'brighten up his office'.

"You're sure, Watari?"

Gaze sliding back to Tatsumi, Watari shifted uneasily in his seat. 

"I'm fairly certain. Office morale was lower in recent weeks than it has ever been. I'm worried that if we continue like this - "

Tatsumi halted his words with a raised hand, a slight frown marring his features.

"And you're equally certain that - " Tatsumi paused to double-check the report, "...team building activities will help matters?"

Watari smiled.

"Quite certain, yes."

  


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Tatsumi glared at Watari, who was watching the proceedings with a distinctly _satisfied_ smile. 

"This," He indicated the barely controlled chaos around them, "is your idea of a team building activity?"

"Hmmm? Oh yes, that."

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, Watari. 'That'."

Watari's smile gentled.

"Actually...no. But I doubt the things I had in mind would have worked very well with this particular group, Tatsumi."

Something in Watari's voice - 

"Aaaah! Look out Tatsumi!"

Watari winced as a bright yellow balloon came flying out of nowhere to hit Tatsumi in the face, water splashing everywhere as it burst.

Around them everyone went deathly quiet as Tatsumi reached up to remove the tattered remains of the balloon from his glasses.

"Er...Tatsumi..."

Watari looked over at Tsuzuki as he made his way towards them, edging past Hisoka and Wakaba as he did. The only sound the soft squelching noise he made with each step he took. 

"Tatsumi...are you all right? We were playing, and Terazuma was just _standing_ there and then he wasn't and..." Tsuzuki trailed off as Tatsumi regarded the ragged piece of balloon in his hand silently. 

"I'm on _your_ team, idiot!" 

Tsuzuki didn't so much as react to Terazuma's infuriated shout, his attention focused solely on the eerily calm Tatsumi.

"Tatsumi?"

Ignoring Tsuzuki, Tatsumi put the broken balloon in his pocket. Turning to Watari he held his hand out, palm up. 

"Watari, if you would be so kind?"

Lifting an eyebrow, Watari reached into the pockets of his coat, pulling out another brightly colored balloon filled with water. Sparing a glance at Tsuzuki, he placed it gently into Tatsumi's waiting hand.

"Thank you, Watari."

Hefting the water balloon in his hand, Tatsumi looked over at Tsuzuki, eyes narrowed slightly.

"Tsuzuki..."

Watari smiled to himself as he saw the slightest hint of a smile on Tatsumi's face. 

"My condolences on the loss of your balloon."

Tsuzuki frowned, tipping his head to the side as he tried to puzzle out what Tatsumi was - 

Tsuzuki yelped in surprise as Tatsumi drew his arm back and threw the balloon he was holding, his aim flawless.

Smiling, Tatsumi leaned forward, clapping a hand on Tsuzuki's shoulder.

"I suggest you run, Tsuzuki."

Confused, Tsuzuki took a step back, eying Tatsumi warily as he held his hand out to Watari once more.

Chuckling softly, Watari dropped another balloon into Tatsumi's outstretched hand. "I'd do what he says, Tsuzuki. Tatsumi means business."

"But..."

"Tsuzuki, think of me as an obstacle you must overcome with your team if you like, but I will _not_ let this go unpunished." Tatsumi said, indicating his suit, now soaked through.

Eyes widening, Tsuzuki smiled as understanding sunk in. Laughing, he whirled and grabbed Hisoka's hand, pulling his younger partner with him as he headed for safety. 

Watari's smile widened as Wakaba and Terazuma turned and gave chase, water balloons at the ready. 

"Watari..."

"Yes, Tatsumi?"

"What other ideas did you have for today?"

  
  



	2. Round Two

  
  


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**Team Building - Round Two**

Written by request for Becky and RubyD :D

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Disclaimer: I do not own _Yami no Matsuei,_ I'm just borrowing the characters for a little bit. 

~ silvershadeus ~

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"Who said Terazuma could be team captain?"

Sighing inwardly, Hisoka grabbed Tsuzuki's arm and dragged him away from the other man before he could start a fight. Not because he cared or anything - he was simply being practical. If Terazuma and Tsuzuki got into a fight it would take forever to straighten the resulting mess out, and then they would _still_ have to take part in the mandatory team building exercises Watari and Tatsumi had organized. The first round of which had ended in near-disaster, although Tatsumi had chosen to take mercy on Tsuzuki in the end.

Still...there was the little matter concerning one of Tatsumi's favorite suits and - Well, that was neither here nor there at the moment. 

"He's team captain because you were off sneaking cookies when you thought no one was looking."

Tsuzuki straightened up indignantly, although he didn't pull free of Hisoka's hold.

"I was _not_!"

Shaking his head, Hisoka guided Tsuzuki back to his place in the huddle next to Wakaba, placing himself between Tsuzuki and Terazuma. Purely for practical reasons, of course. 

"You have cookie crumbs on your shirt, Tsuzuki." 

There was nothing Tsuzuki could say to that, so he nobly refrained from doing so. Despite the fact that it really was unfair of Hisoka to accuse him like that. And okay, so maybe he _did_ have a few cookie crumbs on his shirt and - And Hisoka was giving him _that_ look, so maybe he shouldn't - 

"Are you done wasting our time, Tsuzuki?"

Bristling at Terazuma's tone of voice as much as his words, Tsuzuki bit back a retort as Hisoka squeezed his arm in warning. 

"Play nice, Hajime. Tsuzuki is on your team after all."

Glancing down at Wakaba, Terazuma backed down, though the smile he aimed in Tsuzuki's general direction held far more teeth than any normal smile should. 

"All right, now that we're all here...the rules are very simple. First of all - Tsuzuki, are you listening?"

Everyone looked over at Tsuzuki who was tossing a bright blue balloon from hand to hand, a thoughtful expression on his face. It took a moment before he realized the others were watching him expectantly. When he did notice he flashed them a rather uneasy smile as he put his hands behind his back, still holding the balloon. 

"Eh? Oh, sorry."

Sighing, Terazuma shook his head and shared a longsuffering look with Hisoka.

"All right then, these are the - Tsuzuki!"

Terazuma glared at Tsuzuki who was now checking his pockets, hampered by the balloon in his hand.

"_What_?"

"If you don't want to play, just say so." Terazuma growled, poking Tsuzuki in the chest with each word for emphasis. 

Shooting Hisoka a worried look, Tsuzuki pushed Terazuma's hand away irritably.

"But I _do_ want to play."

Terazuma raised an eyebrow at that, clearly skeptical.

"I _do_!"

Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed as Terazuma looked to Hisoka for confirmation. 

The slight nod he got was apparently as much of an answer as he was expecting. Clapping his hands together, Terazuma turned his attention back to the matter at hand. 

"...Fine. For the _last_ time, and I do mean the last time - " There was no mistaking the look on Terazuma's face as anything but annoyance, "these are the rules..."

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"Watari?"

Looking up from the book he was reading, Watari gave Tatsumi a distracted smile.

"Hmm?"

"Where did you get the idea for this...ah...team building exercise, I believe you called it?"

Feeling as though he should have been paying more attention to what was going on down on the field, Watari set his book aside and sat up.

"Oh...er... Why?"

Tatsumi frowned as Terazuma gave a bloodcurdling scream and set off in pursuit of Tsuzuki who looked almost as though - 

"It doesn't seem to be going as it should."

Watari straightened his glasses and followed Tatsumi's gaze to the field where Hisoka and Wakaba were standing beside each other watching the spectacle their partners were making of themselves. 

"...How do you mean, exactly?"

For a moment Watari didn't think Tatsumi was going to answer.

"I doubt a regular game of - what did you call it again?"

"Capture-the-flag."

"Thank you. I don't think a regular game of capture-the-flag involves the use of - " 

Watari blinked as Tsuzuki came to a sudden stop and spun on his heel, water balloon flying from his hand to hit Terazuma point blank in the face before tearing off again hooting with glee. 

Screaming epithets at Tsuzuki, Terazuma paused long enough to wipe the water from his eyes before resuming the chase, hands full of brightly colored water balloons.

A moment later Tsuzuki found himself with very little field left and Terazuma closing in fast. Turning, he set his feet and raised his hands in an all too familiar gesture.

"Tsuzuki's not doing what I think he is, is he?"

"I'm afraid so."

Watari smiled uncertainly.

"Ah. I suppose that would explain what Terazuma's doing as well, wouldn't it."

Tatsumi simply nodded. 

Shooting Tatsumi a curious look, Watari slouched a little more comfortably against the tree trunk they were sitting under, taking advantage of the shade it offered from the hot afternoon sun.

"Aren't you worried?"

Tatsumi gave an odd little shrug, still watching the goings on below them.

"Not particularly."

"May I ask - oooh...that looked like it hurt."

"It did, didn't it." Tatsumi mused, reaching up to straighten his glasses.

"Er... Do you mind if I ask why you aren't worried?"

Tatsumi gave Watari a peculiar little smile.

"Minimal property damage."

"Ah. That would explain why you were insistent on this spot then."

Tatsumi nodded as though he'd said all that needed to be said. Holding up a plate, he chose to tune out the enraged shouts and occasional explosion as he smiled at Watari.

"Care for a cookie?"

  
  



End file.
